Beautiful Lie
by astridelta
Summary: Naruto, in an attempt to keep the Akatsuki from the Kyuubi, is prepared to kill himself. Sasuke tries to save him, but what happens when Naruto has different ideas? SasuNaru character death one shot.


_A Beautiful Lie_

Thunderstorms had always scared Naruto as a child. The darkness of the clouds, the loud clapping of the thunder and the brilliant flashes of lightning were too much for his young mind to handle. If he had been with other people during those times, his parents for example, then perhaps he wouldn't have been so afraid. But then again, fate had different ideas.

So it made Naruto wonder how now, when he stood under the pouring rain and the ominous, grey clouds, how he wasn't cowering in fear or wishing he could be home, asleep. The seventeen year old was clutching his arms over his stomach as he peered into the space in front of him, the expanse of the open sea under the cliff rolling under his gaze.

**_"It doesn't have to end this way, you know."_**

A smirk rose to the blonde's lips as he closed his eyes while he snorted in amusement. "I guess it does, you old fox," the blonde whispered aloud in response to the Kyuubi's uncharacteristic concern. He could sense the demon's annoyance, fear, and anger at his comment. **_"This isn't just your life that you are ending, child,"_**the great fox snarled in Naruto's head, beginning to pace around in the massive, red cage he was contained in.

"Yeah, well...if Akatsuki thinks I'm gonna just go to them then I've got other ideas," Naruto muttered. **_"You are not doing the world any favors by killing us. I will simply be reborn in this place, and then what will happen to your precious friends? By doing this, you are only prolonging the inevitable."_**

"I would have died either way," Naruto snapped and stepped forward, unraveling his arms from his stomach and reaching up with his right, his wet fingers slipping into the knot of his hitai-ate and beginning to untie it. "At least this way I'm doing it on my own terms, and not having you sucked out of me like a parasite."

Naruto felt anger radiate from the demon he kept inside of him as the fox seemed to slam his torso against the bars of his cage. "What is it?" Naruto asked sarcastically as he took another step towards the edge of the cliff. "You can't be feeling worried for me, can you? Stupid fox..."

**_"I'm just looking out for myself, you brat!"_**the Kyuubi retorted. _**"Just because I can be reborn doesn't mean it is a pleasant process!" **_Naruto snorted again. "Glad to know you care," he muttered and felt his toes go over the edge of the precipice he was stood upon. Once more, the Kyuubi ran at the bars of his cage, unable to break the seal that the Yondaime had placed on the boy.

Naruto turned his head up to the pouring rain as lightning flashed above his figure. Blinking, water ran down his cheeks as if he were crying while his orange and black jumpsuit clung to his frame uncomfortably. "You think I want to die?" Naruto asked softly to the Kyuubi. "It's just better this way. Akatsuki doesn't get you and me...and _he_ can stop worrying about me coming after him."

**_"The Uchiha brat can still be saved,"_**the fox growled back. **_"And what of your dream of becoming the Hokage? You are throwing that all away, you know."_**Naruto smiled softly. "That's all it ever was," he whispered. "Just a dream...just one, big beautiful lie I told myself and the rest of the damn world. How am I supposed to become Hokage when half of my own village fears me, huh? I told you. It's better this way. And as for Sasuke..."

Naruto swallowed uncomfortably as his throat tightened. "He doesn't want to be saved. I...I can't." The blonde shuffled his feet a little further over the edge of the cliff until the muscles in his legs were straining to keep himself clinging to the edge. He sighed as the Kyuubi's chakra began to fill his body slightly. "This is my choice," he snapped and pushed his own chakra against the demon's, effectively pushing the fox back.

**_"You can't do this to me!"_**The Kyuubi seemed to scream out. **_"To yourself! Dammit brat, you are making a massive mistake!"_**Naruto closed his eyes and held his arms extended out from his sides, palms facing forward and his fingers loose, his right holding his Konoha hitai-ate. "It was good living with you," he said. "I'm dying on my own terms," he then repeated softly. "This is my life, this is my beautiful lie and I'm going to end it..."

His torso leaned forward, and as his hitai-ate fell to the wet ground, he fell.

The Kyuubi was now snarling and screaming words beyond comprehension as Naruto kept his eyes closed, the fox slashing at the bars of his cage and slamming against them continuously. He felt the sea water begin to splash against his face, stinging his skin, and was about to impact the ocean...

A hand clasped around the cloth on his back.

Naruto's eyes snapped open when his fall began to reverse itself, being tugged upwards by some unknown force while wind stung his eyes and rain splattered against the back of his neck. Suddenly, his spine connected with solid ground and a figure leaned over his vision, blocking out the rain and the lightning.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Naruto blinked as the voice registered in his memories. He coughed twice and brought his hand up to rub at his eyes. "...Sasuke," he breathed out in confusion as worried, frightened black eyes stared down into his own azure orbs. The Uchiha's raven bangs were plastered against his pale forehead, rain water streaming over the boy's face.

"Well? What were you thinking?!" Sasuke shouted again. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he felt a piece of cloth being draped over his body. "This isn't real," he murmured. "All these damn lies...I'm probably dying right now." Sasuke's fist connected with his jaw, his head snapping to his right as the raven breathed heavily. _"You. Utter. Idiot!"_ Sasuke snarled while Naruto felt blood rising in his throat and spilling over his lips.

"Killing yourself isn't going to solve anything," the Uchiha continued while Naruto spat out the irony substance in his mouth. "It's gonna keep your brother from kidnapping me isn't it," the blonde replied as the Kyuubi began pacing in his cage again. Sasuke again punched Naruto's cheek. "Shut up," Sasuke hissed. Naruto closed his eyes. "How did you know," he whispered.

"About...this, anyway."

Sasuke was slow to reply. **_"I told you it is not too late for_**_**him,"**_ the Kyuubi said in Naruto's mind. The blonde didn't say anything as he glanced back up at Sasuke as the raven opened his mouth. "...Orochimaru sent me on a mission," he muttered. "I sensed your chakra out here, and then I saw you fall..." Sasuke blinked rainwater out of his eyes.

"Why would you do that?" The Uchiha asked. Naruto closed his eyes. "Sooner or later, Akatsuki is gonna come after me," the blonde murmured back. "I know what they do to...people like me. Gaara told me what it's like...I'm not going to let those bastards win. So here I am." Sasuke eyes's narrowed as water from his face dripped down onto Naruto's cheeks.

"That is one of the most stupid things I have ever heard," Sasuke replied. "The Naruto I know wouldn't just back down like this," he continued to sneer as Naruto tried to loosen the Uchiha's grip on his arms. "The Sasuke I know wouldn't be giving two shits," he said back. Sasuke closed his eyes as his face leaned forward over Naruto's, his forehead pressing against the blonde.

"For the past three years, I haven't been able to get you out of my head," Sasuke whispered. "I couldn't focus, couldn't train or sleep without thinking of you...the idea of you dying because of my brother is something I never want to actually experience. Whether he kills you with his own hand or just by simply threatening you..."

Naruto closed his eyes too and leaned into Sasuke's hold while he pulled his chakra deep into his gut. "That," he whispered, "is a...very beautiful lie."

Leaning up, the blonde quickly kissed Sasuke as water dripped from the raven down onto the blonde. Naruto then realized it was not water, but tears, as Sasuke kissed back while Naruto started to pour his chakra into the earth under his back. Opening his eyes, the blonde saw Sasuke's sharnigan staring down at him with horror in his red eyes.

_Of course,_ Naruto thought. _The sharnigan can see chakra flow._ "Naruto," he shouted and shook the blonde's shoulder while his chakra continued to pour out. Vision dimming, Naruto managed one last smile up at Sasuke. "I'll be there with you, you know," he whispered. "Wherever you go, I'll be there."

His head slumped to the side as his eyes closed.

Sasuke's breath hitched while Naruto's stilled. "Naruto," he called out and slapped the blonde's exposed left cheek. "Naruto! _Naruto!_" His open-palmed slaps became closed-fist punches, eliciting no response from the blonde's lips as more tears poured from his eyes. "Don't you fucking leave me!" He snarled. "Don't lie to me, you're not going to stay...I didn't leave you this time, you idiot. Why are you leaving me...telling me such a beautiful lie..."

* * *

The song that inspired me to write this: A Beautiful Lie, 30 Seconds to Mars


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